Snow/grainy on PVR-500, but perfect on PVR-150

[quiller]

MediaPortal Version: 0.2.0.4
MediaPortal Skin: MePo-Green
Windows Version: Windows XP Pro SP2 w/ xplite
CPU Type: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ (1.8ghz)
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint-T 500gb (x2)
Memory: 1GB Geil (x2)
Motherboard: Abit ATX Pro K8T800
Motherboard Chipset: VIA
Motherboard Bios:
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9550
Video Card Driver: 6.
Sound Card:
Sound Card AC3:
Sound Card Driver:
1. TV Card: Hauppage PVR-500
1. TV Card Type: analog
1. TV Card Driver: 2.0.43.24103
2. TV Card: Hauppage PVR-150
2. TV Card Type: analog
2. TV Card Driver: 2.0.43.24103
3. TV Card:
3. TV Card Type:
3. TV Card Driver:
4. TV Card:
4. TV Card Type:
4. TV Card Driver:
MPEG2 Video Codec: InterVideo NonCSS Video Decoder from Hauppage
MPEG2 Audio Codec: InterVideo NonCSS Audio Decoder from Hauppage
Satelite/CableTV Provider: TimeWarner Nebraska
HTPC Case: Antec Sonata
Cooling:
Power Supply: TruePower 380 watt ATX12V
Remote: Pronto Pro TSU7000
TV: Apex 36" CRT
TV - HTPC Connection: S-Video

After a week of configuring and tweaking, my system is finally coming together almost perfectly. Two issues remain in my way: first, TV quality on my PVR-500. Ever since I first plugged in the PVR-150, the quality has been exceptional, it might even look better than on my STB. The PVR-500, though, has been nothing but trouble: after adding an inline booster in just the right place (too close and it screws up my cable modem, too far away and there's no impact, even closer than too close and the PVR-500 simply refuses to see any channels on autotune), I have a signal. The image is just barely snowy on the upper channels (~30), but at lower channels it is downright unwatchable. I would assume this is entirely due to the coax quality coming into my computer, except that the PVR-150 plays everything perfectly, with or without the booster.

I have several theories on what might be going on: 1) Since the PVR-150 uses software decoding, it can adjust the gain/tilt and find a better image than the hardware-based 500. 2) The splitter inside the 500 is crap, or defective, and is solely responsible for the quality difference. 3) Something else is wrong with the 500. 4) We'll never know and I wasted $150 on the PVR-500.

I've already applied every fix and tweak I could find on the forums, but maybe there's a Magical Solution that I haven't stumbled across. Are there known problems with grainy/snowy images on the PVR-500?

P.S.
I think I have solved another problem with the various tweaks and hotfixes sprinkled around, but at one point the PVR-500 had a pretty annoying audio stutter. It was barely noticeable, happened regardless of timeshifting on or off, and only affected the audio (and, again, just barely, but enough to be more annoying than if it was horrible).

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by quiller

1) Since the PVR-150 uses software decoding, it can adjust the gain/tilt and find a better image than the hardware-based 500.

I don't think that this is correct - it is my understanding that both the PVR-150 and the PVR-500 use hardware encoding and software decoding, so they should both behave in exactly the same way?

Originally Posted by quiller

2) The splitter inside the 500 is crap, or defective, and is solely responsible for the quality difference.

It sounds to me like your PVR-500 is faulty - does it work correctly with the Hauppauge supplied TV application? Its not necessarily the splitter that is faulty, but some aspect of the hardware?

[quiller]

Originally Posted by Taipan

I don't think that this is correct - it is my understanding that both the PVR-150 and the PVR-500 use hardware encoding and software decoding, so they should both behave in exactly the same way?

Really? Hopefully somebody can clear this up... the whole reason I got the 500/150 combination was because the 500 supposedly was all hardware based. If not, I might as well get three 150's, at least then I'd have acceptable quality across the board.

Originally Posted by Taipan

It sounds to me like your PVR-500 is faulty - does it work correctly with the Hauppauge supplied TV application? Its not necessarily the splitter that is faulty, but some aspect of the hardware?

No, it's still as grainy/snowy (which is the correct term, anyhow?) in WinTV as in MP. The stutter appears the same in both, as well, although that is harder to determine since it is so subtle and intermittent.

Also of note: when the 500 is playing, either recording or live, it uses ~ 50% of the CPU, but the 150 never tops more than 25%. Another reason something smells fishy...

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by quiller

Hopefully somebody can clear this up... the whole reason I got the 500/150 combination was because the 500 supposedly was all hardware based.

OK, let me see if I can clear it up ...

There are 2 types of analog TV cards - software encoding (the cheaper ones) and hardware encoding. Hardware encoding creates the mpeg stream in hardware that is on the TV card and thus takes the load of the CPU.

But, when it comes to decoding the mpeg stream to enable it to be displayed, this can be done all in software (for example, if you use the MPV decoder) or partially in software and partially in hardware (for example, if you use a decoder that supports DxVA - like the Cyberlink Video Decoder). The hardware decoding in this case is done by your video card (the 9550, in your case) and has nothing to do with your TV card.

When I look at the specs for the PVR-150 and the PVR-500 on Hauppauge's web site, they both have on-board hardware encoding. So both cards should perform the same - same quality and the same CPU usage ...

That's why I am suggesting that your PVR-500 is faulty - but I could be mistaken ...

Are you certain that you are getting a good signal into the PVR-500? For example, if you take the aerial connection that is feeding the PVR-150 and feed it directly to the PVR-500 (no other splitters or amplifiers), does the video then deteriorate noticably?

[quiller]

Originally Posted by Taipan

Are you certain that you are getting a good signal into the PVR-500? For example, if you take the aerial connection that is feeding the PVR-150 and feed it directly to the PVR-500 (no other splitters or amplifiers), does the video then deteriorate noticably?

Same result on the 500 regardless of what's connected. I even made new cables entirely, hoping that one of them was bad, but no luck. I switched the PCI slots around, as well. Sounds like an RMA will soon be drawn up...

[Taipan]

Originally Posted by quiller

Sounds like an RMA will soon be drawn up...

I have never used either the PVR-150 or the PVR-500, so my comments are based on theory rather than real live experience. So, you might want to wait for some feedback from actual users of these cards - there maybe some hidden magic that needs to be deployed ...

[joboehl]

I have both, and both perform exactly the same in my setup.

And yes, 150 is HW based for sure. As far as I know they both use the same encoder (Conexant).

Julio

[quiller]

Thanks, joboehl. I'll call and get a return asap. If anyone else with PVR-150/500 cards has further comments, thanks, but I'm pretty sure the answer is obvious.

[wishywashy]

Take a look at this:

http://forums.snapstream.com/vb/showthread.php?t=33675

Seems a change in encoder chips has had a bad affect on quality.

[Martin B]

Perhaps there is just alot of the haupauge cards that are kinda shitty. Seems alot of people are having problems with them. I myself have a pvr150 and my picture is grainy too :-( and i think i have tried everything..

I think ill try to buy another card, perhaps even a floppydtv card and see if it gets better.